British broadcasters want social media mammoths policed by government watchdog

Some of Silicon Valley’s leading tech firms are out of control, says a conglomeration of the UK’s top broadcasters, and something needs to be done about it. In a joint letter Sunday to The Telegraph, broadcasters BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, BT and TalkTalk said content that appears on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube is not regulated the way traditional media is, and that needs to be changed. The solution, the group said, is government oversight. “We do not think it is realistic or appropriate to expect internet and social media companies to make all the judgment calls about what content is and is not acceptable, without any independent oversight,” said the letter. “There is an urgent need for independent scrutiny of the decisions taken, and greater transparency.” The group said that the issues are wide-ranging, including the proliferation of “fake news” that might appear on the platforms. But the letter also argued that such platforms can be detrimental to mental health, especially that of younger people. Many of these companies have been juggling these hot-potato issues for some time now. As they’ve come under scrutiny, they’ve been tinkering with their algorithms to make social interactions more “meaningful” or as Facebook in particular has put it, “time well-spent.” Still, the challenge of moderation has become a Sisyphean undertaking. Firms can be accused of oppressive moderation and then too little oversight in the same week. The broadcasters aren’t asking for censorship, rather similar regulations that they face. ”It is about making the most popular… [Read full story]